Dr Sibusisiwe Mchani is a Chief Researcher at the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), within the Equitable Education and Economies (EEE) division, and is part of the Dynamics of Agro-food Systems and Innovations (DASI) team. She joined HSRC on 1 November 2024, bringing extensive expertise and experience to her role.
Dr Mchani holds a PhD in Economics from Nelson Mandela University, providing her with a strong foundation in both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Prior to joining the HSRC, she worked as an Economist at South Africaâs National Treasury, where she was involved in microeconomic policy analysis and research, and also served as a Graduate Intern (Budget Analyst) in the Local Government Budget Analysis Unit. She has additionally held positions as a Junior Economist at the Aluminium Federation of South Africa and as a Lecturer at Nelson Mandela University.
Her research interests include international trade, regional trade integration, food systems, structural transformation, and economic development. Dr Mchani has contributed to national research initiatives, authored peer-reviewed publications on Africaâs trade structures, and developed a novel dataset on trade partner diversification across the continent.
